Diagnostic apparatus



March 8, 1927.

D. M. RYAN DIAGNOSTIC '-APPARATUS .2' Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed March 24,-1926 Attorney March 8, 1927.

D. M. RYAN DIAGNOSTIC APPARATUS Filed March 24, 1926 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 aH n n w i I. p

Patented Mar. 8, 1927.

UNITE- starts DOBSYQMFRYAN, E ,HINTODL'WEST VIRGINIA.

DIAGNOSTIC APPARATUQ I Application filed March 24, 1926. Serial. No.97,057.

The object of my said invention is'the provision of an apparatusdesigned for use by medical doctors and through the medlum of whichchest expansionmay be accurately estimated.

Tothe attainment of the foregoing, the invention consists in theimprovement as hereinafter described and definitely claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification Figure1 is a plan view of theapparatus constituting the preferred embodimentof my invention.

Figure 2 is an enlargedview of the same, partly in section and partlyinelevation.

Figure 3 is an enlarged view, partly in section and part-ly'inelevation, illustrating one of the novel valves comprised in thepreferred embodiment of my invention.

Similar numerals of reference designate corresponding parts in Figures 1to Among other elements my novel apparatus comprises a fiexible bag 1,of silk or other appropriate mater-iahdesigned to be girded about thechest and fastened through the medium of tapes, strings, or other device2, at the ends of the bag.

In the bag 1 and extending practically throughout the length thereof isan inflatable tube -3,preferablyof thin rubber, and also within the bag1 are inflatable air containers 4, the said containers 4 being also bypreference of thin rubber and being arranged at diametrically oppositepoint, as indicated by dotted line in Figure 1, for a purposehereinafter set forth.

In addition to the bag or envelope 1 and the described parts therein mypreferred apparatus comprises mercury pots 5 and glass tubes 6 connectedwith the bottoms of the pots 5 and having upstanding portions on whichare graduated scales 7 as appears in Figure 2. Connected to the upperends of the pots 5 is a conduit 8 having a. cut off valve 9, andinterposed between and connected to the lower portions of the pots 5 isa conduit 10 in which is a cut off valve 11. The valve 9 and 11 areconnected through the medium of links 12 with a head 13 on which is ahandle 14, and by virtue of this provision it will be appreciated thatmovement of the handle 14; will be attended by movement of the valves 9and 11 in concert to cut off or establish communication between the pots5 and between conduits 18 and 18?. At is a compressible pump bulb thatis connected Atthis point Iwould have'it understood that each of thevalves 17,;21and 22 is of the construction best shown inFig-ure 8, thatis to say, it includes a tubular'body 23-of metal or otherappropriateniaterialbhaving a valveseat 24: olfset fromits bore 25-andalso having-a threaded aperture 26 in coincidence-with said seat 24, anda screwshank 27 tapered at its inner end to conformtothe seat 2% andhaving a knurled head28 exterior of the tubular body 25.. 'The valvecharacterized as 'described is not only extremely simple andinexpensive, but also advantageous because of its efllciency-and thefacility with which 'the end :portions of its body 25 may be inserted inand heldrbyithe end portion of rubber tubing section.

In .the practical use of my .novel apparatus, the bag or envelope 1 isgirded and fastened about the chest of a patient, and when theinflatable tube 3 is to be employed the valves 22 are closed to cut offthe containers 4:, while when said containers 4; are to be used thevalves 21 are closed to cut-oft the inflatable tube 3. It will also beunderstood that by manipulation of the valve handle 1 1 one side of theapparatus including a mercury pot, a graduated mercury column, theinflatable tube 3 and one pocket 1 may be cut off from the other side ofthe apparatus.

When the inflatable tube 3 is to be used,

the said tube 3 is inflated by manipulation of the bulb 15 until mercuryin the upright portions of the tubes 6 begins perpendicular oscillation.

Manifestly in the practical use of my novel apparatus lateral andanteroposterior expansion of both lungs together, or each lungseparately can be estimated. The latera]. expansion of each lung canalso be accurately estimated as can the anteroposterior expansion ofeach lung separately, or the eX- pansion of both lungs together withboth lateral and anteroposterior expansion can also be estimated.

It will be apparent from the foregoing that both embodiments of myinvention are simple and inexpensive in construction and are devoid ofdelicate parts such as are likely to get out of order after a shortperiod of use.

I have specifically described the preferred embodiments of my inventionin order to impart an exact understanding of the said embodiments. I donot desire, however, to be understood as limiting myself to the preciseconstruction illustrated, my invention being defined by my appendedclaims within the scope of which structural changes may be made withoutdeparture from my invention.

Having described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure byLetters-Patent, 1s:-

1. An apparatus of the class described comprising a flexible envelopeadapted to be secured about the chest, a flexibleinflatable tubearranged in said envelope and extending practically throughout thelength thereof, flexible inflatable air containers also arranged in saidenvelope, mercury pots, graduated columns in connection with said pots,a conduit between the pipes, a second conduit connected with the pots,and having branches in connection with the inflatable tube and theinflatable containers, a valve intermediate the ends of the firstconduit, a valve in the second conduit, and means for actuating thevalves in the conduit simultaneously.

2. An apparatus of the class described comprising a flexible inflatabletube adapted 1,e19,sse

to be girded and secured about the chest of .a patient, mercury pots,graduated columns in connection with said pots, and a conduit connectedwith the mercury pots intermediate its ends and also connected at itsopposite ends to the inflatable tube and equipped with means forsupplying air under pressure.

3. An apparatus of the class described comprising a flexible inflatabletube adapted to be girded and secured about the chest of a patient,mercury pots, graduated columns in connection with said pots, and aconduit connected with the mercury pots intermediate its ends and alsoconnected at its opposite ends to the inflatable tube and equippedwithmeans for supplying air under pressure; the conduit connections to theinflatable tube being valved, and valve means being interposed betweenthe mercury pots, whereby one pot may be isolated from the other. a

4. In an apparatus of the class described, a flexible inflatable deviceadapted to be opposed to the chest of a patient, a mercury pot, aconduit connected between said pot and said inflatable device, means forsupplying air under pressure to the inflatable device and the pot, and agraduated tube in connection with the pot; said inflatable device beingarranged in a flexible envelope,

an auxiliary flexible inflatable container enclosed in said envelope,and means connecting the auxiliary container with the mercury pot andmeans for supplying air under pressure.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

DORSY M. RYAN.

